All ‘SpongeBob’ songwriters will be eligible for a Tony Award

The score of "SpongeBob SquarePants" features original songs from 15 artists. (Photo: Joan Marcus)

The Tony Award for best original score could go to more than a dozen artists for the same musical.

In its second meeting, the Tony Awards Administration Committee discussed “SpongeBob SquarePants the Musical,” as well as eight other shows from the season. In that meeting, the committee determined that the 15 artists who wrote original songs for the musical would be eligible for a Tony.

“The artists listed under Original Songs By on the opening night credits are eligible,” a press agent for the Tony Awards wrote in an email to Broadway News.

The musical features a score of pop, gospel and rap songs from well-known artists including John Legend, T.I. and Plain White T’s, as well as previous Broadway songwriters Sara Bareilles and Cyndi Lauper. Tina Landau, director of “SpongeBob SquarePants” told Broadway News in November that she wanted to a diverse score to match the universe of the show.

“The world of Bikini Bottom and SpongeBob is so much about variety and a surreal mashup of things,” Landau said.

That closest comparison to “SpongeBob SquarePants” may be “Urban Cowboy,” which listed thirty composers and lyricists in its 2003 Tony Category for Best Score – though not all songs were originally written for the musical.

“Urban Cowboy” did not win in 2003, as Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman took home the prize for “Hairspray.”